Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Lawder Home.

Just a few pictures of my home for the tour of homes

This is my fire place.

Diningroom

The center of attention in my livingroom

Top of the television along with my favorite oil painting that I did


Santa waiting on Christmas

This years new ornament from one of my "Silly Sisters"

Diningroom again

And to top it all off the Christmas Tree.

Merry Christmas everyone.

May God Bless and keep each of you in His arms.

Belief or Unbelief

What would the cause of Christianity be like if thousands of modern Christians had the same zeal to seek the Savior that the magi had?

Romans 4:3 ..."Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Each morning we awake and go about our day based on one of two beliefs: Either we believe in God and our every action is motivated by this central value, or we do not really believe and our actions reflect so.

You can be a believer yet act as though there is no God. Whenever you fret over life circumstances, you immediately demonstrate unbelief. Whenever you move out of fear or anxiety, you believe a lie about God's nature.

Each day your actions affirm or convict you of your belief system. It reveals who the central focus of your life really is-you or God. It reveals who you place your ultimate trust in-you or God. It is one of the great paradoxes for believers. One day we can believe Him to move mountains. The next day we can question His very existence.

Peter believed God and walked on water.
A sick woman touched the hem of His garment and was healed.
A Canaanite woman believed and freed her daughter from demon-possession.

In what circumstances do you act as an "unbeliever"? Ask God to increase your level of trust so that your actions match up with one who believes every day.

A few pictures from this summer

Me and my junior high girls on the beach

Just really liked this picture

All the chaperons for the beach treat KNOWN

The two of us clowning around but also taking a break

Penny, me, Troy and Kevin have fun while the kids shop at the beach

Some of the group having lunch

Clowning around at Six Flags

Troy, me and our new friend

One of the most beautiful sites how could anyone not believe in the Creater

A New Year

Well, I haven't written anything in a very long time and this is not really something that is going to be profound or deep theology. It is just a few thoughts about the upcoming year. Now don't get me wrong I know it is not January 1st and a new year in that way but it is a new year in many other ways.
First off it is the start of a new school year. Last Monday night of the first night of class. It was very interesting I am taking 4 classes this semester thinking it would be great and being able to move on with my degree. Well the very first night I have Old Testament survey and then Systematic Theology, boy that is a mouth full. I have papers to write in each and a lot of reading. Then on Tuesday night I have Church History and Teaching methods. I am really looking forward to all these classes they are just going to take a lot of time, a lot of pray and a lot of studing and reading.
Then there is the next new beginning. This Sunday will be that last Sunday to have all my girls in class together. Next Sunday which is the first Sunday in September some of my girls will be moving up to the senior high class. I know they will be fine it is just hard to let go sometimes. I have seen each of them grow so much. But then the Lord is blessing me with a class full of great girls that are moving up to junior high. Not only are we having new kids we are also starting to us a new curriculim which I am so excited about. I really think the youth will enjoy it.
We are also finishing up with our discipleship training "Experiencing God" youth edition and will be moving on to our next class. I am so looking forward to seeing where God is leading this group. Well, that is just a few new beginnings I am truly excited about.

The Silly Women Totally in Love With GOD

Hello to you all here are a few pictures that I took while we were at the Deeper Still Conference in Atlanta Georgia. I must simply say it was a REAL BLESSING to spend time with these wonderful sisters in Christ. Thanks for a great weekend.

These a the Silly Women one fire for GOD.

What a beautiful picture of God's Wonders

The three women of God that are truly a blessing to us all.

Revealing in Revival

I just have to say this to start I know without a doubt if I don’t right this I want get any sleep for the simple reason that God ain’t letting it go.
How many of you have ever thought about “attitude”. Do we really understand what it means, what it is or what it can do in our life? Well let me start this off by giving you Webster’s definition of “attitude”. There are actually several and I feel the need to include them all because of the content of this blog. Attitude a bodily posture showing mood, action etc, a manner showing one’s feelings or thoughts, ones disposition or opinion etc, (slang) a quarrelsome or haughty temperament or manner. Boy now that is a mouthful. Now I know we all have attitudes about a lot of things in our lives. And this is just as much for me as it is anyone else. But I truly hope this speaks to you as much as God has spoke to me through all of this.

The definition of attitude in the Webster dictionary is a very good description of the world today but let me tell you it has also came to the point that this same description describes so many in our churches today. May I ask, is this a good thing or a bad thing, well in my honest and humble opinion as they say in class sometimes I thought the church and Christians themselves were to be set apart. After all isn’t that what the word sanctified means. If that is the case then why is it today that the world cannot see any difference in themselves and the church? It is all about our ATTITUDE. Let me share with you for a few minutes what I actually got to experience during a sermon I was hearing tonight that was titled “The Christian Attitude”.

While I was attending a revival service the preacher got up in the pulpit and started off by sharing a few good stories and then told us what scripture he would be basing his sermon on. The scripture was Philippians 4: 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” what a wonderful verse that we all know and have quoted numerous times. Well, this is where it gets good. When I opened my Bible to the scripture I had this scripture already marked, now you may say “yeah because it is so familiar” yes you could be right but not this time. You see not only was it marked but there was notes, the same title of the sermon, some of the same notes and a date 08/19/07. You see the same preacher that was delivering the message at the revival was the same preacher that delivered the original message in August of 2007. The only difference in the two sermons was the places they were being delivered and now for the big one, THE ATTITUDE in which it was received.

Now the first time I heard the sermon I enjoyed it just as much as I did tonight. But when I heard it tonight God revealed to me something that I would never have expected. God reminded me of the surroundings and attitude of the church where the first message was preached. There were those that murmured and said that they did not like feeling like they were being constantly put beat up and felt like it was negative. Then there were those that stood back with their arms crossed thinking “I know he is not talking about me”. Another difference was the empty altar, now that one bites I am sure. Can we say this could be a very good description of a pessimistic attitude? Now I am sorry if I am stepping on toes but I am just telling you what God has shown me tonight.

Then there was the attitude that this same sermon was received tonight. I would have to describe it as the optimistic attitude. These were a people that accepted the Word that God was giving them and took it as a blessing. And at the end of the sermon when the altar call was given it was packed. They left the place of worship with a heart filled desire to have the optimistic attitude. Smiles on their faces and joy in their steps. Looking forward to the next meeting to receive more of what God has for them.

I will say this much I have never had the opportunity to experience anything like it. To be blessed to hear the same sermon twice would not be unusual but for that same sermon to be about “The Christian Attitude” and God bringing the sermon to life by showing me the two different attitudes in the way this same sermon was received. WOW what an awesome GOD we serve.

Yes when it all come down to it "IT IS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE" what kind of attitude do you want to have.

Bible Studies and Books that I have enjoyed

Hello everyone


I was having a little fun on my computer this evening and discovered a really need widget while checking out layout templetes. As you see is it actually a book shelf that you can add to your blog and show people some of your favorite books, bible studies, etc. These are a few that I have studied or read and would like to share with each of you. Right now the Bible study we are doing on Monday night with the Silly Sisters of the Round Table is Beth Moore's Patriarchs I would highly suggest anyone study it. In my free time I picked up To Live is Christ which is her book about the life of Paul, I haven't gotten read very much of it but what I have is very good. You can see there are several of Beth Moore studies these are a few that I have enjoyed. Just take a look and see what you think you may want to include this widget on your site as well to share with your friends. My prayer is that you to will take a few minutes to spend time in a good book or bible study and grow your walk with God.

What kind of flower are you

Saw this on another blog and though it was kind of fun. With spring trying to come to life check this out and see what kind of flower you are. Comment me back and let me know.

Have a great day!!

God Bless each of you.

I am an Echinacea What Flower Are You?

God and no compares to HIM

On this cold and wet Saturday morning I am sitting here in my big comfortable chair studying the lesson for our Youth Discipleship training class for Sunday evening (3:16 The Number of Hope by Max Lucado) when God just popped me in the head again, (you know one of those I should have had a V-8 kind of pops right between the eyes) well in the case in the heart.

The lesson this week is on No One Like Him, the scripture is based out of Isaiah 40: 18-31. This is where Isaiah was trying to get the Israelites to realize that there was or is no one as powerful or no one that can compare to our God. Then I realized just how true these statements truly are.

Let me back up just a little bit. There is a pattern here that I failed to get until now. First before I started studying I went on line to the Living Proof Blog (Beth Moore’s blog site) and was reading where she was sharing how great our God is and how so many people don’t give him the credit when credit is due him for the big and little things he does in each of our lives. Then I started studying this lesson. Boy can I just say here that God really wanted to share some good stuff with me today.

As I started studying and I saw just why He deserves all the credit for all HE does in each of our lives. There is no one or not one thing that can compare to him in any way form or fashion. He is the GOD of all. I just want to share with you our evidence he give us in HIS scripture.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of HIS hands.

Psalm 74:16 The day is yours, and yours also the night you established the sun and moon.

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things, those of long ago. I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me.

John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

Acts 17:25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself give all men life and breath and everything else.

I know these are a lot of verses but just to be honest with you there are a lot more verses to show us that He is the God of all and these just touch the surface. If we would just look to the ONE and only in all of our situations instead of always trying to rely on ourselves our lives would be so much better. I am also talking to myself here and I feel that is the reason God has revealed these scriptures to me to help me to remember that all things are done and go through him first. He also helps me to realize He does not need my help to fix the things in my life or in the lives of the people who are around me or who reads this. He is in control of all things.

He does not need our help, if he did why would he have said “I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me.” He is our God and He is in control of all things. It is just that simple it is us his children that make things so difficult.

Let us now give Him total control, let Him be the pilot of our lives. Then when we do experience the fulfilling and abundant life He has for us let us give Him and Him alone the glory for it all. After all even the heavens and earth give Him the glory why not us.

Saturday

I just want to say thank you to all who have been praying for our family and my dad. He came home from the hospital yesterday, Friday Feb.29. As I wrote in the previous blog it had been a long week. Well now we are in for the long journey to full recovery.

I know as children we think that our parents will always be around. They will never be sick and will always be there to take care of you. Then we grow into our teenage years and we feel basically the same but we also feel like we know everything and they just don't get it. How could they get it they are our parents they could not possibly understand and know what we are going through. Then we become adults and have children of our own. We are so busy by now with our lives that we don't take the time we need to to be around to spend a lot of time with our parents which by now have become mawmaw and pawpaw instead of mama and daddy.

Well, I know you are thinking by now where is she going with all of this. Well here it is in a nut shell. We need to realize that our parents have been children at one time and thought the same about their parents. They were teenagers and have gone through a lot of the same things we have just in a different time. Then there came the day when their parents became grandparents to us. Basically they do understand and we need to take as much time with them as we possibly can.

None of us young, middle age or old are guaranteed tomorrow. We are to live today as if it could be our last. So if this is so we need to come together more or as much as possible as a family. Not just the regular holidays.

I can truly say in these last six weeks or so between the trips to the hospital and the death of my lovely sister in law and then my dad having by pass surgery we need to quit taking for granted that our time will never end because we know that is not so. So take the time to spend with family or pick up a phone to a love one and just say hi. Send a card or send an email. Just take the time that God has given you and enjoy your family now while the time is yours to enjoy them.

A Very Long Week

It has been a very long week. To be honest with you it has been a very long last 6 weeks for our family. First off my daddy was in the hospital for a heart attack and had to have a heart cath and stints. Well that all went well. Then my sister in law Stacy went into the hospital and while there was healed by our Lord and taken home to be with him, but I will say this we all do miss her very much but do know that we will see her again. During all this time I was told that I needed to be looking for another job after 2 1/2 years of working for this company (this was the new owners that told me this). What has topped this all off is that on Wednesday my daddy blacked out while he was driving to the doctors for his six week followup and has a small accident while crossing 759 bridge. He was taken to Riverview Hospital where we find out late that evening he has had another heart attack. On Thursday he had to have another heart cath and we found out he was going to have to have by pass surgery. Saturday was the big and long day. With all your prayers and a God that is still in the healing business everything went well. He is now in ICU anding doing well. He will proably be put in a room on Monday. The doctors said he will be in the hospital maybe a week to 10 days and then will be sent home for about 6 to 8 weeks of healing and rest. Like I said at the beginning of this Blog it has been a very long six weeks. To all of my friends that have known about this and been praying for our family thank you very much. To those that are just now finding out about my daddy and mom please pray for strenght and healing in these next few days and weeks.

What an Amazing GOD

Hello everyone. I will admit I have not been a very good girl when it comes to writing blogs on my site. But I thought today I would fill in the spaces of the last few weeks about what God has been doing in my life and the life of my lovely family. If I had to go back in time for a little while to tell you about our Christmas holiday I would have to start back with the trip of a life time. That trip would have been with our youth to Breakaway which was in Pigeon Forge, TN. I have been on a few trips with our youth but this trip is the one that I will say was more of a blessing than any of us would have believed.

We had a total of 34 people (this is youth and 8 adults) when we arrived on Thursday I had the feeling that this trip was going to be a lot of fun but proably would be the typical youth trip. Yes, I was no different than a lot of others, I went not really expecting a lot to take place. I knew God was with us and would show up but I had no idea exactly how. We had our worship service and the music and Antwan was great. But then the kids had their group time and the adults went into theirs. But let me go back for just a minute the scripture and theme of the whole conference was AWAKEN.

Revelation 3: 1b - 2 "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remain and is adout to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

Thursday nights adult time hit home Eddie talked about the phases that todays church is going through and how we need to awaken to what is going on around us in the world. Thursday night we were blessed by having one of our young ladies become a child of God and accept him as her Lord and Savior.

But the time that topped off it all was Friday. The time of worship was awesome you could so feel the presents of the HOLY SPIRIT in that place. Antwan's message was about Little Boy Blue this was based on the scriptures from Ezekiel 33 1 - 9. We are all watchman for Christ. He challenged each of us as to where we are as watchman for Christ, are we asleep like Little Boy Blue or are we doing the will of God.

When we went into our churches group time God showed off. First of all Kevin, our minister of youth and children spoke, then my son Mat did something that I was not expecting. He stood up in front of this group of young people and the adults and gave his testimony.

You see the reason this was so special to me is because of the things and the direction I had been seeing and living watching my son go in the wrong direction but the only thing I could do was to pray for God's protection around him.

I knew Mat was saved and knew the Lord and he also knew the things that he was doing was not in God's will for him. But as he spoke and told these young people that he was no different from them at one time. Yes, he had been on many youth retreats in the past and proably felt just like them. It was an opportunity for them to go away to the mountains with their friends and yeah set through worship and then go home. But the next thing he said was on one trip God truly saved him, but he had gotten so far from God that he no longer heard his voice. Then he told the kids of the time he had spent three days in jail and is now on three years of probation for hanging out with the wrong group of friends and ignoring God's voice calling him. He then called the kids and adults into the middle of the room and to get on their knees in prayer. He also challenged the youth to be the youth to go back and make a difference in our church because Mat had since in the past how one youth group can change a whole church. When the group got down to pray the Holy Spirit became so active in that group it was amazing. There was not a try eye in the room. It was like every burden that the young people and adults came to Breakaway with was gone.

Now we have came back and the young people are making an awesome difference in our church. They are standing up for God in so many ways it is amazing.

I will continue to write in my future blogs of the amazing work God is doing through this retreat and through our youth. I asked that each of you that may read this blog will keep them in your prayers. We all need the prayers of others to help build us up and ward off the arrows that Satan has targeted for each of us.

Why go to church

This is an email that I received that I thought I would share hope you all enjoy.

Why go to Church?
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope! Why Go To Church?A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! < /I> All right, now that you're done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this! "When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"